Chain link blank and process for making chain links



Aug. 14, 1945. I H. ST. PIERRE 2,382,345

CHAIN LINK BLANK AND PROCESS FOR MAKING CHAIN LINKS Filed Aug. 24, 1942 r ATE I I "2,382,345. g LINK BLANK rnoonss roit L M G H N K I 1 Henry St. Pierre, Worcester,:Mass.

" application August 24, 1942, sri lno. 455,384 1 i I g g I 6 Claims. (Cl.59--35) inventionrelates to. new iandlirnproved forged chain links and to methods of making the same? n 7. X1 If I Q i sa the i en -.inc usie the p v o i9 "1..me h9 manufa t e o p ne nk of the types disclosed inpartzirnmy Patent No. 2,277,567, dated. March-24, 19f12, and embodies the steps of fiojrging blanks theshape of an E s with" the two. eye-forming. arms extending from the centeroflthefblankjoutwardly at angles,,or

inclined to each other; but in the plane of the link, said arms having generally opposed connectingportions at their ends, heating the center of the blank where vthearms join,-andthenpressing the arms againstasuriace or dieto swing,

of m te -13'? we rt w rd ea h oth to be connected, with theresult that little if any deformation of the arms is necessary.

Further objects of "the. in I theinitial forged connection of the eye arms at the solid-'sideloi the link, such center being fprged fthjin or narrowin a plane normal:to ,thelink b 3 nd elongatedat such cen-ter in said norinalp'lane,toprovide.a substantiallyeasy pivotr" A e r g 'away ajs to provide an openjside for the link for swing centerfor the 'arrnsbut at the same time fproviding sufiicient metal. at this center for a subsequent forging. operation to, completetthe "solid side oi the link with the desiredmetal section. i

Another object, of. me'gifivtti n] to provide M an open-side link blank having, a ,pairpf; generally, c-shaped eyefiorming, arms extending in opposed' relation but at angles to .eachother,

these arm'sbeing'initially forged in one unitary cup shaped reciasses located normal to" the e plane of the blank. These recesses are provided for. the reception of shouldered connecting eleine'nt 32 at the free ends ofarms 22. Thebarrel piece withcorresponding, portions of the arms joined'at a center, and if desired, a stud and conne'ctingmember may be formed at the-same time at this center. i

. Other objects and advantagesof the invention p.40

willappear hereinafte a. M v

Reference is tube had to the following drawing wh h, .1 s it i it Fig. 1 isa .viewshowingone formof finished Fig. 2 shows the original blank from which the finished link is to"be made;

Fig. 3 is a partial view, of the blank of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of arrow 3.in Fig. 2;

Fig, 4 is a view of the blank of Fig. 2 after the twisting of the stud bore element;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 illustrates a blank for making the type of link shown in Fig. 1 but by a different method tion' include the provision of a chain link center atthepoint of ;-is thereby afforded.

,The herein disclosed inventicnis notliniited to the, illustrated-blanksand links butmay be practiced with plain links having no studs and' with links having diiferen-t means of securing the .linkjarins together. ,However, I have illustrated Lthefinvention as appliedftoeertain embodiinents f'for the p rpose oi providing. a ,clear descripti on andfdisclosurel In Fig. 1 thefinishedfloeking link genetics connecting apai'roffsolid links In, and, this leekme, link, in finished form, is similar in many respects to that shown in Fig. 1of my above idenjtifiedpatentg This link,coinprises a solidside i2, astud 14, a studbore element legend a Pair of opposite eye-rformingfl a'r'ms l8 connected to thest'ud bore element by nieans of shoulders 1:9. "It is this linkw'hich is to-be, madebyjmyln'ew method.

j jFigi '2" "shows the engined forged biting whic jcbmprisjesa pair o fQgenerally opposed C-shaped' arms 22 located at an'angleftoeach other and fconnecte'd at the center of the'solid side of theflink blank to form, a v therebetween in such blank whilema'intainingthe C shape of the aims.

The exactanfgle at which'thearnisare connected isnot important but. it is less than in n .--cases-; ana it will be clearfroinFig. 2 thata very "wide, opening between the iree ends. of 1 arms '22 In t embodiment iuiistratea, a t iafzt projects inwardly, from the center 24 andthisstud is formed with a barrel or bore element having or stud =b0re element 28 isrelatively short and thick and provides a largeuamount of metal for a purpose'to be described. 1=

locking link assembled in a chain, 5 ofthe splid side oftthe link andinitS corresponding elongation in a direction parallel to the stud bore element 28 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or in other words the center 24 is reduced in a direction transverse of the blank and increased in a' direc-:

tion normal to the plane. of the blank. The

reason for this construction will be explained below but it is here pointed out that the total cross section of the center 24 is suflicient to finally provide a normal metal section at the links solid side I 2 in Fig. 1, and as originally forged, the

' ;,without;heatin r eform'n athe arms 22:1

to be included in the eyes of the blank and them;

the stud bore element 28 is twisted 90?, asgfor instance indicated by the arrow in"Fig "3,l so ,that I I 4, and the solid links I may be therebyisecured' as the openings between the stud bore element and t the free ends of arms 22 are now considerably reduced. i

The thus assembled chain is now ready to 'l'iave "the openside= of the locking lirl k"blan'k closed, and this is done by heatingthef'center of I -t lie blankjgraspingthe stud bore', elem'ent by, any

"convenient means; and; applying pressure there;- to n the direction'of rr w}; in Fig. 4,1with the rit s'ide su'rfacska' s' 36;,.fQfthjIC-shape'd arms abutting f a 'pla'ne' surface "or held in a die or the "like. This action "cIefarl'y' will causef'arins 22" to pivot or swing bodily inwardly'towardieach other tions" 32 in the" recesses;

hich is a bre 'e pream I The locking lin bflankds' heated atjitsj ce ter, i hcliiding center :FZ'daIid its humps, and the, stud bofre' ,el 'emenh'lthe "arms 22 st'ill being c oidir desired. .'l'he blank "is ,gthen placed inf an appropriate die and 'prejssure'b'y hammer g isjappli 'dtoithe entirelblank :inad ltection m mo epanernreot 'rnis hammering in ajfs'ingle operation; shapes]. the T,"9 4 i fa fi P ri n i jijt'bflg", and atith airie tim'e'f, -s the metal-of "the' stud-" bore element to in l ,ck withkgthe houldersat 3.2,,and ,alsamay'be :utrhzedlto spread llhe metal or the :fsltud bore element. tolfinish n thi ,side f theloek ne in i t'o laye, no parts v or separations."Thismethodheat j the e le nt I tu i n ce e roman; M asiw l efi r n t e na h re n sn mtiontt m0- duqv n a for ed s0 d,,and:stur;dy AQckineIink,

, The modification:of 'Fig./;6:.:illustrates a :blankforged to carry out the above :niethod'=witha locking,linkas'disclosed in -my co-pendin'g appli- *CalDlOIl S. :N. 4149;931, filed Ju1y '6=,=- l 942; Patent No.

treats the, stud 2,868,271; In-Fig; fi the cent'er' portion 2-4, humps 34, and arms 22 are the same as in Fig. 2, but the method of connecting the ends 38 of the arms and stud 40 is by Welding with subsequent forging in a die as described in said application. Otherwise the method and blank are the same as before and it will be seen that other methods of connection may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Havingthus described myinvention and the advantages thereof, I do not=wish "-to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than gas set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1 Aloqking chain link blank having a solid I sideand' anopen side, said solid side comprisit lies in the plane of the blank as shown in'Fi g." ,l5'

in'g'a' pair of mutually inclined arms joined to- -;-gether;at adiacent ends to form a center portion,

said center portion being reduced in thickness -to th stud at said other end and forging the wide an open side-for thejbjlank, 5 reduced area in'one direction atthe junction :of the arms and an enlarged area scenter; providing -aconnection for relative to the free ends of said arms;

,2. ;A docking chain link blank as recited in claim 1 wherein said center portion iselongated 'ina-di-rection at right angles to; the plane of the 3, A locking chain link blank as recited in clai-ml 1; wherein --'said center portion is provided with a hump extending in a *to thfe' plane of the blank.

fi'dir iie -e 4. {A locking chain :lirik blank 1 comprising a pair of generally "c-shaped element's joined to- 1 gether' at adjacn-tends of'theelements, the latf -'the 'linkand increased in'thickne'ss in a direction in a plane' normal tothe man or the link,

the section of'the 'ap'ex'and' of theelements being substantially'egual inareai I 5.*The method of making a link' including the steps-of forming 'a blank haying curved ends and a center stud, saidv ends being located to extend from a reduced humped endof' the stud at-, angles'to'eaclr other so that 'a' side of the blank is-open; pivotingthe ends without deformahump -to'-add material tothe *linka t the 'reduced portion I together at'corresponding ends thereof, said elebeing at an angle to .each' other'to proth ejre being a in a {direction normal thereta-sai'd method comprfsfing the steps of heating- -at least the junction, pivoting the C- shaped arms together about the junction as a i the ends of the arms, heating said connectionand'said juncglllOIl, andEfOrging both of thelatter areas at once to finish the reduced and enlarged areas-to normal and to secure the arm ends together.

s r. r maran. 

